The National Police Agency said Monday that it is reviewing a plan to investigate the deaths of South Korean nationals in Cambodia, citing persistent difficulty obtaining cooperation from the Southeast Asian nation.

Acting Police Commissioner Yoo Jae-sung acknowledged that coordination with Phnom Penh has been “less smooth" than it has been with other Southeast Asian governments, adding that Seoul will keep pressing for stronger collaboration through diplomatic channels.

The agency said that between January and August, Korean police made 20 requests for international cooperation through Interpol, but Cambodia responded to only six.

To address the issue, police plan to establish a “Korean Desk” in Cambodia, expand police attaché posts and dedicate 30 officers to cross-border investigations.

Police said 147 suspects have been extradited from Cambodia to Korea over the past five years, with numbers rising from 18 in 2021 to 48 in 2024.

Yoo said South Korean investigators and forensic experts will travel to Cambodia this month to conduct a joint autopsy on the body of a college student who was found dead in Kampot Province in August, and that the repatriation of his remains will be discussed after the procedure.